


i can never look away

by forbiddenquill



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, But they're still together so..., Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Wait idk if this is fluff, high school sweethearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: Minayeon AU in which Mina and Nayeon are high school sweethearts who have to say goodbye to each other at the airport.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina
Comments: 13
Kudos: 260





	i can never look away

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Taylor Swift's 'Daylight'
> 
> I got super tired of writing angsty Minayeon so have some fluff (or is it fluff?) just for shit and giggles. I wrote this in a day so if there are any grammar errors or mistakes, then please ignore them! Just enjoy the softness hehe 
> 
> (I was supposed to dedicate this to someone but I'm not really happy with it so... expect more fluff in the future!)

//

After waving goodbye to the Sons for letting her stay at their place the past four years, Mina dragged her suitcase to the curb, where her girlfriend Nayeon was already waiting for her in her grey Maserati.

“Don’t look,” Nayeon said, staring over Mina’s shoulder to where the Son residence stood, “but Chaengie already looks like she’s going to cry.” 

“You’re kidding.” Mina glanced back and to her pleasant shock, Chaeyoung stood by the open doorway wearing a petulant pout, almost like she’d been robbed of a toy she wanted her entire life. When she caught her two unnies staring at her, Chaeyoung hastily wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes and flipped them off. Then she disappeared into the comforts of her home. 

“Forgive her,” Nayeon said, cackling loudly as she started the engine, “She’s PMS-ing.” 

Mina hummed, leaning over the gear shift to pull her girlfriend into a slow, languid kiss. When she pulled back, Nayeon’s eyes were still close but her cheeks were dusted a pale pink. “I think Chaeyoung-ah is just going to miss me,” she said breathily against Nayeon’s mouth, “Reminds me of someone I know.” 

“Pfft.” Nayeon opened her eyes and the depths were hazy. She quickly shook her head. “Nope,” she mumbled, “You said no sad hours until we get to the airport.” 

“In five hours,” Mina reminded gently. 

“Yes.” Nayeon kissed her quickly before she leaned back to get the car started. “Five hours I’m willing to spend happily.” 

The two of them headed to a restaurant near the airport, having already calculated their time left so as to not miss Mina’s flight. Five hours. Five hours to spend with Nayeon before Mina had to leave for good. Even though her girlfriend had previously expressed that maybe Mina should just miss her flight altogether, she knew that it was time for Mina to go. 

They held hands when they left the car and they held hands still as they took a seat near the window overlooking the view of the ocean. Despite Nayeon being very affectionate in public, Mina knew that this was different. They weren’t holding hands because Nayeon wanted to. They were holding hands because they knew it was going to be a long time before they got to do it again. 

Nayeon ordered for them, picking out Mina’s favorite dishes from the menu. The entire time she did this, she kept their hands clasped together under the table. Mina felt warm at the sensation of her girlfriend rubbing her thumb over her hand and she couldn’t help but smile fondly at her, even when she wasn’t looking. 

“Do you want dessert?” Nayeon asked, turning to Mina and raising her eyebrows when she caught her fond gaze, “They have sundae.”

Mina nodded. “Sure, why not?” 

Once the waitress was gone, Nayeon looked around the restaurant, deeming it to be safe enough, before she leaned over and kissed Mina again. It ended quite a while later, to the point that it was getting harder to breathe. When they pulled back, Nayeon’s gaze was hazy. 

“What was that for?” Mina asked breathlessly. 

“I wanted to,” Nayeon said. She let out a soft sigh, her breath hitting Mina’s parted lips. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered a second later, “Like, you have no idea—”

“Shush,” Mina mumbled, leaning back and forcing a smile, “No sad hours until the airport.” 

Nayeon looked seconds away from crying but she managed to school her expression into a calmer one and sniffled instead. Mina wanted to coo at her, as she always did everytime Nayeon was getting emotional, but she didn’t. If she did, then it would be like pretending that her girlfriend didn’t have the right to be sad about their situation. 

So she just squeezed her hand. “Come on,” she said, gesturing to the waitress returning to their table with drinks, “We still have a few hours left.” 

Nayeon sighed. “Okay.” 

When their food arrived, they ate in silence. Before, Nayeon had this habit of talking during their meals but she learned to keep her mouth shut until after they finished eating, since Mina always stayed silent and hummed to whatever Nayeon was saying. _You’re such a boring person to talk to_ , Nayeon had once said before, aggravated at Mina’s lack in response. All Mina had done was say, _you’re going to choke if you keep talking to me_ and finish the rest of her meal.

But now, she knew they were running out of time so she quickly ate everything and then looked up at Nayeon.

“We’ll be okay, right?” she asked quietly. 

Nayeon, who still had some fried kimchi in her mouth, swallowed her food and nodded seriously. “Of course,” she said, reaching up with a hand to wipe some sauce off Mina’s bottom lip, “We’ll be okay.”

“Promise?” 

Nayeon smiled, eyes crinkled around the corners. “I’m not going to promise that everything is going to be smooth sailing from now on,” she murmured, “but I can promise you that I won’t give up on us.” 

And with a look that seemed so vulnerable for a woman of Im Nayeon’s caliber, she cupped Mina’s cheek with her right hand and traced circles against the skin with her thumb. Her eyes were shining with so many unsaid things—fears and insecurities she didn’t dare let slip past her lips. She knew that Mina would be anxious about the fate of their relationship once they were separated but she didn’t voice them out. For that, Mina loved her. 

“As long as you won’t give up on me too,” Nayeon whispered. 

Mina cracked a grin. “I thought after four years, you’d know everything about me,” she said. 

Nayeon rolled her eyes and pulled away. “You’re right,” she said, shrugging, “You’re as stubborn as I am. There’s no way you’d give up on us just because of the long distance.” 

“We’ve survived other things.”

“Like your parent’s initial disapproval of our relationship.” 

“Like the time you were nearly expelled for exposing the perverted principal.” 

“Or the time you were rushed to the hospital because of a high fever.” 

“And the time you broke your leg trying to prove a point to Jeongyeon.” 

The two of them smiled at each other. 

“We’ve been through a lot,” Nayeon said softly, her eyes getting misty again. Mina knew that this was a sign that she was going to start bawling like a little kid. Before she could tell Nayeon that they promised no sad hours until the airport, her girlfriend simply shook her head and focused on her food. 

Mina watched her girlfriend before she reached under the table and squeezed her knee. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for being with me all these years.” 

“Well,” Nayeon said blandly, bunny teeth peeking out from behind her lips, “I _do_ love you. Like a whole lot.” 

Mina smiled. “I love you too, baby.” 

They finished with their lunch and had sundae for dessert. Mina was trying to feed Nayeon spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with marshmallows on top but apparently, all Nayeon wanted to do was kiss her again and again, despite the fact they weren’t exactly hidden away from the other patrons. So after Mina ate three spoons of her sundae, she forced Nayeon to pay for their meal and then dragged her girlfriend into the restroom.

“We still have a little more than three hours left—” Nayeon was immediately cut off by Mina pulling her in for a rough kiss that was all bite and teeth and tongue. 

“Less talking,” Mina said, her heart full to the brim with love and affection for her girlfriend, “more kissing.” 

They stumbled into an empty stall, nearly tripping on the way. Mina pushed Nayeon against the door, kissing her desperately. She knew that this was going to be one of the last times they’d get to do this and she wanted to savor every moment of it. She focused on the way Nayeon’s forehead pressed against hers, the way their noses brushed, the way their lips fit against each other’s. She could feel Nayeon’s large hands embracing her by the waist, pulling her in. Nayeon’s heart, beating erratically inside her chest, echoed against hers as well. 

Nayeon stopped kissing her when they heard the door to the restroom swing open. Somebody walked in, used the nearest stall, which was a few doors away from where they were now frozen. A moment passed. Then they both heard the door swinging open and the sound of running water. Mina pulled back, biting her lower lip to stop from giggling out loud. Her girlfriend’s eyes were wide with alarm but her cheeks were still flaming. She, too, was struggling to keep from bursting out laughing. 

They waited until the person was finished washing their hands and left the restroom before Mina sagged in relief against Nayeon. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Nayeon muttered, hitting the door with the back of her head, “That was…”

“Thrilling,” Mina suggested as she placed a hand on top of Nayeon’s chest and felt her heartbeat slowing down considerably.

“Something we’ll never do again.” Nayeon huffed. Mina giggled as she wiped the sweat off Nayeon’s upper lip with her thumb. “Come on,” the older girl said, sounding regretful, “You still have a flight to catch.” 

They left the restaurant, careful to avoid the curious eyes of the staff, and got into Nayeon’s car. They drove the rest of the way to the airport, going over Mina’s list to see if they had everything ready, since they still had more than two hours to come back if there was anything missing. But, to Mina’s relief and Nayeon’s displeasure, everything seemed set. All they needed to do was wait for Mina’s flight to be called. 

The airport was busy, as expected on a weekend. People from all over the world came and went, ready to hop onto connecting flights or eager to explore a new country. Most of them sat in their small corners, talking with friends or family. A few other people were flying solo and Mina saw them just taking this time to take a nap or scroll through their phone in boredom. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. The Sons offered to take her to the airport but Nayeon already got her covered on that part. 

“Do you want coffee?” Nayeon asked Mina after her ticket was checked and her suitcase was checked in, gesturing to the food court where a few other people sat, eating overpriced airport food and spending time on their phones.

Mina nodded, knowing it would help calm her nerves. She was excited about the prospect of going home, especially when she had spent so little time with her family, but she didn’t want to leave Nayeon behind. Ever since they started dating, they’ve been inseparable. It would be difficult to adjust to a life where Nayeon wasn’t waiting for her outside the Sons, complete with her heart-shaped lips forming a wide, bunny smile—the one that Mina had grown accustomed to all these years. 

She let Nayeon lead her to a table in the farthest corner, where they could have some privacy. Mina put down her bag on the table, rummaging for her wallet. As she moved to stand up and order some coffee for her and Nayeon, her girlfriend shook her head and pushed her back down on her seat. 

“Nope,” Nayeon said, “You’re not going to spend a single penny today.”

“Nayeonnie,” Mina said with a whine in her voice, “I can pay for my own coffee and you already paid for lunch earlier—”

“No buts.” Nayeon crossed her arms, staring her down. “I’ve saved up enough money to treat you on your last day here, okay?” Her steely expression wavered at the last part of the sentence but she continued relentlessly, “Let me do this… you’re always the one buying me stuff, okay?” 

Mina sighed and sat back down again. Nayeon smiled at her and left for the counter but not before she bent down and pressed a quick kiss on Mina’s cheek. A flurry of butterflies erupted in Mina’s heart. Despite the fact that they’d been together for four years, Nayeon never failed to make her melt.

When Nayeon came back with two cups of coffee, Mina was checking her phone for messages from their friends. 

“Here,” her girlfriend said, sliding Mina’s cup towards her, “Little to no caffeine with plenty of vanilla, sugar and creamer. It’ll help you take a nap on the way back.”

Mina smiled, warmth blossoming in her chest at the thought that Nayeon still knew what to make for her whenever she was nervous. She took a sip, hummed at the taste and pointed at Nayeon’s own cup. “What did you get?”

“Black coffee.”

Mina wrinkled her nose, knowing what it meant each time Nayeon ordered black coffee. “Why are you going to stay up tonight? Japan and Korea don’t even have a time zone difference.” 

Nayeon just shrugged. “I know that I won’t be able to sleep without you anyway,” she muttered, drinking her coffee and making a face at its bitter taste. “By the way, I saw an old friend while I was ordering and—”

“ _Nayeon_.” Mina’s heart jumped to her throat, a delayed reaction after hearing her girlfriend’s admission. She reached forward and clasped Nayeon’s wrist, her thumb rubbing soothing circles over her pulse point. It was something she did each time she slept over at Nayeon’s place. When the older girl had nightmares, the gesture helped. 

Her girlfriend, seeing this, relaxed considerably. “I’ll be fine, Minari,” she whispered, putting her coffee down and placing her hand over Mina’s, “I’ll get used to not having you in my bed every week.” 

It was getting harder to pretend like everything was fine. Mina knew that she was overreacting but her heart still throbbed painfully at the realization that she and Nayeon were going to spend the next couple years apart. She shouldn’t even be worried at all, especially when she understood that Nayeon loved her as much as she did. And yet, the worries persisted. She felt as if she was suffocating the more she sat there, holding Nayeon’s hand and waiting for her flight to arrive. 

“We’ll be okay,” Nayeon repeated, squeezing her hand, “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Myoui.”

Mina laughed, shaking her head.“Not that I’d ever want to, Im.” 

Nayeon grinned, seemingly happy to have cheered her girlfriend up. The two of them spent the rest of their time drinking coffee and playing Animal Crossing on Mina’s Nintendo Switch. Nayeon didn’t have her own and Mina offered to even give hers but the older girl had been adamant that she keep it. “Take care of our island,” she had told Mina a while back. 

“I’ll pretend like you’re on a really long summer vacation,” Nayeon said, leaning forward and resting her chin on Mina’s shoulder. Her eyes were trained on the screen. 

Mina hummed. 

“You always come back after your vacations,” Nayeon murmured. 

Something inside Mina’s chest twitched. “This is different.”

“How so?”

“I’m going home,” Mina reminded her quietly, “and this isn't a vacation.” 

It hurt Mina to think about it, much less say it out loud. But she knew that sugarcoating the challenges their relationship would face was counterproductive. They had to understand that it was going to be a long difficult road, especially when they were both going to college in different schools. Besides, they were teenagers. What if Nayeon found someone else while Mina was in Japan?

The thoughts were starting to hurt. 

Nayeon sighed and kissed her shoulder. “Sad hours now, huh?” she whispered. 

Mina shut off her Switch and leaned her head against Nayeon’s. “Unfortunately, yes.” 

“It’ll only be for a couple of years,” Nayeon said, her voice hushed, “So what if we’ll be apart for most of it? We can video call, we’ll exchange letters, I can send you packages for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. And if I’m missing you so much, I’ll save up enough money to go to your mansion just to see you.”

“It’s not a mansion—”

“Really?” Nayeon snorted. “That was your takeaway from that entire romantic speech?” 

Mina laughed and put away her Switch. She looked around, checking for any nosy people around them, before she pressed a soft kiss on Nayeon’s cheek. Her girlfriend sighed again, her sadness radiating from the soft sound, and hugged Mina tightly from the side. 

“I’ll miss you,” Mina said.

“I’ll miss you too,” Nayeon whined, her voice cracking, “Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ ocean. Why can’t Pangaea have a comeback already? Imagine just travelling for only an hour and getting to see you! Please, no air pollution since there won’t be any planes, right? We’d be saving the earth! Watch me study archaeology and force all the countries together—”

Mina giggled, leaning back and flicking Nayeon’s forehead with her finger. “You’re hilarious, baby,” she said, grin stretched so wide her cheeks hurt, “I love you.” 

“So, does that mean you agree to my choice of career?” 

“ _No_ ,” Mina said, still giggling, “I know for a fact that you’d hate studying the earth. Stick with mechanical engineering or marketing. Like what we’ve discussed. We’ve already planned out everything.” 

“You’ll finish studying ballet,” Nayeon went on, “and I’ll be an engineer as well.” 

“Hmmm. Engr. Im Nayeon,” Mina murmured, liking the way it rolled off her tongue, “Sounds sexy.”

The words were enough to form a blush on Nayeon’s cheeks. She whined again and buried her face into Mina’s shoulder. The two of them stayed intertwined like that for a couple more minutes. Then, they heard it: the intercom calling for Mina’s flight. 

“No,” Nayeon whimpered, pressing the softest of kisses on Mina’s neck, “I don’t want you to go.”

Mina’s heart plummeted to her stomach. She didn’t want to go as well but she had to. That had always been the plan. She gently stood up, letting Nayeon cling to her as she grabbed her bag from the table. Throwing away their cups of coffee, Mina led them to the airport terminal, where they’d have their final goodbye. Until the next time they meet, of course. 

The more they approached their destination, the more Mina’s nerves worsened. They’d known this day was coming months—hell, even _years_ —ago. But it didn’t ease the sudden burning in her chest. Like somebody had suddenly set fire to her stomach and her heart was thrashing around, trying to extinguish the flames. She thought back to the list she and Nayeon had reread earlier in the car, wondering if there was anything she really did leave back home. 

“My rabbit plushie—” she began, turning to face Nayeon with wide eyes, “Did I leave it back at your place—?”

Nayeon stepped back from embracing Mina and squeezed her shoulders tight. “It’s in your suitcase,” she reminded her.

“Did I pack your sweater? Your favorite one?” 

“Yes, you did.” 

“I don’t think I should bring my Switch with me—you should keep it, Nayeonnie—” 

“Minari.” Nayeon cupped her girlfriend’s cheeks and stared at her with teary eyes. “You’re good. You’re all set. There isn’t anything you’ve missed.” 

“But—”

Nayeon shook her head. “You’re going,” she said, “You have to.” 

Mina chewed on her lower lip. The intercom called her flight number again, informing its passengers that there was only a few minutes left before takeoff. But she couldn’t look away from Nayeon, trying to memorize every bit of her beautiful features. She gazed at the chestnut colored hair, falling down in waves over her shoulders, the warm hazel eyes, the perfect arch of her nose, the heart-shaped lips and the gummy smile that was starting to peek out. Looking at Nayeon always hurt but it was a good kind of hurt. This time, however, it didn’t feel good at all. 

It just _hurt_. 

“I’ll call you everyday,” Mina said, feeling tears rise in her throat. She’d struggled to stay strong all this time but now that the point of no return was here, she felt her resolve crumble. 

Nayeon’s smile widened. Her eyes were shining. “You better,” she teased, “I don’t want to be kept waiting, you know.”

“Okay.” Mina watched as Nayeon took her hands and pressed her lips against the knuckles. “I miss you.” 

Nayeon smiled against her skin. “I’m still here.” 

“It doesn’t matter.”

Nayeon’s throat bobbed as she looked back at her girlfriend. A tear fell from her right eye and she hastily tried to wipe it off. “We’ll be okay,” she reaffirmed, “We always are, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

They stood there in the middle of the airport, still holding each other. Then, urged on by how little time there was left, Mina stepped forward, tilted her head up and kissed her girlfriend. It felt like hello and goodbye at the same time. Nayeon kissed her back slowly and carefully, swiping Mina’s bottom lip with her tongue. It felt desperate, but not the same desperate they felt earlier in the restaurant. Instead, it was the kind of desperate that craved intimacy and affection. Nothing sexual. Just the need to be close. It left searing burns on her lips. 

When they pulled away, Nayeon rested her forehead against Mina’s. “I love you,” she whispered. 

Turning her face to Nayeon’s shoulder, Mina raised her arms and wrapped them around her girlfriend’s neck tightly. In return, Nayeon hugged her by the waist, relaxing against her embrace. The two held each other, breathing in unison and hearts rapidly beating against their chests. For a split second, everything was okay. 

“I love you too,” Mina said quietly, inhaling Nayeon’s scent and committing it to memory, “I’ll see you soon.” 

“Call me as soon as you land.”

“Okay.” 

“Stay safe.” 

“I will.” 

The intercom rang again, calling for the remaining passengers. Mina pulled back, trying her best not to cry, but she was probably failing due to the way her lower lip wobbled. Nayeon smiled at her but her smile looked shaky as well. There was no stopping it. This was happening. Mina was going back to Japan and they’d have to spend the next four years apart. 

Mina gripped her bag tightly and turned away. Almost at once, she was stopped by Nayeon gripping the back of her shirt, desperate to keep her close, even if it was only for a second. Mina stopped, waiting for her girlfriend to let go, which she did a second later. 

It hurt to walk away.

It hurt more to look back and see Nayeon standing in the middle of the crowd, holding herself, hands gripping her elbows tight as her eyes filled with tears. Mina waved one last time and Nayeon waved back. Then Mina turned and got on the plane—the plane that would take her back home but also away from home. 

Mina held herself together as she walked through the tunnel. She held herself together as she pulled her bag close to her chest, where her Nintendo Switch sat inside, along with the island she and Nayeon had cultivated. She held herself together as she sat near the window of the plane, where she could see the ocean stretching into the distance. A reminder that she and Nayeon were going to be separated by a large body of water.

A man was seated next to her, checking his phone for any last-minute email notifications. He didn’t look like the type of person who smiled, the same way Nayeon always did. 

Mina missed Nayeon already. It felt like her heart had shriveled all over and it was now nothing more than a pathetic excuse of a beating organ that was meant to keep her alive. She checked her phone and stared at her lock screen—a picture of her girlfriend during their first date. Nayeon was wearing glasses and her hair was tucked under one of Mina’s beanies. She was still a freshman, having just met Mina in one of their shared classes. It was an older picture but it was one of her favorites. 

“We’ll be okay,” Mina told herself, holding the phone close to her chest. The first tears she allowed herself to shed finally fell down her cheeks in steady streams. She closed her eyes, thinking of the last image of Nayeon in her head, and waited for takeoff. 

//

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at miabasher4lyf on Twitter!


End file.
